Official statistics published today showed that 89.9% of people attending A&E in January 2015 were treated by NHS Grampian within four hours - significantly below the national four-hour target waiting time target of 95%.

Scottish Liberal Democrats today said the chief constable to listen to front-line police officers after a critical independent report revealed that the morale of police officers in Ayrshire was being damaged by constant pressure to conduct stop and searches.

An HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) inspection of Police Scotland's Ayrshire division said: "Whilst we acknowledge KPI and performance targets are strongly reinforced in the division we noted that some officers and staff felt that the emphasis on targets had unintended consequences."

Scottish Liberal Democrats today demanded an explanation from SNP ministers over claims on NHS funding after figures revealed that health boards across Scotland are still being short changed.

On 11 January this year, the Scottish Government issued a statement which said that an additional tranche of funding would "bring all health boards to within 1 per cent of parity under the NHS funding formula, NRAC, a year earlier than planned."

Scottish Liberal Democrats today warned the Scottish Government is failing children and young people with mental health problems as figures published today showed health boards failed to meet targets in accessing crucial child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).

Official statistics published today showed that between October and December last year, 86 percent of children and adolescents were seen at CAMHS units within the March 2013 target of 26 weeks. In December 2014, the target treatment time was reduced to 18 weeks. Between the same period, only 78.9% of patients were seen within the December 2014 target of 18 weeks. In both instances, the Scottish Government target is to be achieved for at least 90% of patients.

Scottish Liberal Democrats today warned the system of retained firefighters risks being stretched to breaking point as new figures revealed the loss of hundreds of staff during the first year of the new national service.

Official statistics published today showed that between April 2013 and March 2014 the total number of full-time equivalent staff working for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service dropped from 8,964 to 8,484 - a decrease of five per cent compared to one per cent the previous year.

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Alison McInnes MSP has said SNP ministers should explain how they will prevent their police centralisation from having an even greater impact on frontline policing.

It comes after it was revealed that Police Scotland will most likely not have the resource needed to complete its reforms after it loses its special reform budget at the end of the coming financial year.

Scottish Liberal Democrats today said that their case for all stop and searches to be put on a legal footing is "stronger than ever" following an admission by the chief constable that under the current system police officers could still conduct consensual stop and searches of children.

During evidence to the Scottish Parliament's subcommittee on policing, chief constable Stephen House said that consensual stop and search was "policy not law."

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Alison McInnes MSP today welcomed the announcement of the establishment of the new Scottish Sentencing Council as a positive step, but has warned its gender balance will go a long way to determining whether it can reduce female re-offending.

The Scottish Government today announced that the new body will be established in October this year with a view to holding its first meeting in November.

Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Alison McInnes MSP today warned that that a revealing exchange of emails between officials at Police Scotland and the Scottish Information Commissioner risks seriously undermining public confidence in Scotland's national force.

In a series of email correspondence published by the Information Commissioner's office today, claims by the chief constable that they were compelled to release the information and that they warned previously about inaccuracies were rebutted by fact.